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In Reply to: RE: Can Not Go Smaller posted by Brian Levy on July 01, 2014 at 09:15:01
Sometimes less turns out to be better Brian. All the years I spent looking for "better" and I had the stuff all along but I guess I had to run the course of audio nervosa to find out.
I went from an MC225, C-22, MR67, Altec Model 19 speakers, Thorens TD124 MK1 with SME 3009 S2 and about a dozen cartridges to a Scott 299A Integrated, Scott 333 Stereo tuner, TD125 Mk2 with SME 3009 S2 with an Audio Technica AT130E and EV Esquire 200 speakers.
The "lesser" combo just sounds more natural to me in many ways and it's more than enough for my modest size listening room size.
Follow Ups:
Hi Dave.
Interestingly enough, I have a TD-125 waiting for me to get to with an SME 3009 S2-Improved tonearm (removable headshell). I suspect it would be just the thing for a good MM cartridge (I happen to be very fond of MM cartridges.) Do I take it that you prefer the belt-drive TD-125 to the now, very popular idler hybrid TD-124? If so, what aspects of the sound do you prefer?
Dave
Dave,
I've used either a TD124 MK1 or MK2 for a long time but one other time I switched over to the TD125 MK2 I thought the sound was very much like the TD124's at a fraction of the cost. Then I put the TD124 back in because I have it.
When I switched setups, amp/preamp and speakers, I noticed that the sound was a bit thick in the lower registers yet the detail and snap was all there.
One night for the heck of it I swapped out the TD124 for the TD125. The TD125 has the same arm and cartridge that the TD124 had on it.
The sound was less thick and it retained the detail and snap.
I suspect the EV Esquire 200's are a bit bass thick due to the design and/or their current placement and that the SME and AT cartridge
just act differently in the TD125. (resonances)
I have yet to switch back to the TD124 because I wanted to get real used to the TD125 but I could certainly live with the TD125 very easily.
I'm tired of "tweaking" and spending money so changing plinths isn't in the cards for me. It's now, either it sounds good as is or it doesn't.
I will keep one TD124 though just in case.
In my case I also suspect that after 30 some odd years of listening to 7591 amp's with horns, I've fallen victim to the EL84 sound and the cone mids and horn tweeters in the Esquires. (7189A in the Scott 299A)
Having the two tables with the same arm puts you in a unique opportunity to compare. Your answer is what I suspected, that they are both excellent tables, and as always, preference is likely system dependent. I have an idler drive table (Rek-O-Kut), but it is so different from my belt drive tables, that it is hard to compare.
I still plan to get some tubes back in my system, but I will need to break out the soldering iron. My free time lately has been taken up by my home air conditioner. It is running now, but I need to check the ducts. It's a DIY life for me. I do my own work on just about everything!
Dave
For me it is was not trying to find better but how far I could go before it became too compromised. I have just rejigged the desk system to the ADS L300s with the Philips 796 and it is livable. I will stay with that knowing the 785 can do as well with those speakers and also both do well with the Klipsch HII. Other looks like I have the speakers and found the Philips receivers from my stash do well with them. I will likely sell off all the electronics save the Philips as well as all the speakers save the 3 mentioned as well as all my other stash. Then in the future I can make a decision as to the final choice.Listened to the new desk system a good bit of time today and have decided it will stay. Also, will be keeping the Philips 785 receiver and other than the Sherwood SEL-200, S3300s and S9500c as well as the Sony STR6120 and Yamaha CA/CT610II amp and tuner listed almost everything else on CL to clean house. My reluctance as to these items is as much just a personal reluctance as rationale one. I suspect in the end, these all will also be listed. I was hoping to have retained fewer pieces but, this is a step ahead, anyway.
Don Brian Levy, J.D.
Toronto ON Canada
Edits: 07/02/14
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